Butte woman sentenced to 15 years in prison for involvement in drug ring

MISSOULA – A Butte woman was found guilty in federal court of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl as part of a large drug ring based in Whitehall and sentenced today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of probation, said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.

The defendant, 57-year-old Janet Dean White, was found guilty in a jury trial in April of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The case was presided over by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.

“White was one of eight Montana and California residents convicted of a conspiracy to traffic at least 13 pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills into the Butte and Helena areas. We will not rest until every drug trafficker is brought to justice, and I am confident these defendants will end up in the same place as White – federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Laslovich.

In court documents, the government alleged that White and seven other co-defendants plotted to traffic meth and fentanyl in Butte and Helena from June 2022 to approximately January 2023. In June 2022, the Utah Highway Patrol stopped an individual traveling in a vehicle transporting 3.5 pounds of meth and 6,000 pills of fentanyl and learned that the individual was transporting the drugs to Butte, where they were distributed by “Esco,” co-defendant Juan Felipe Vidrio Fuentes of Anaheim, California. Law enforcement also learned that Fuentes was staying at the Whitehall residence with at least one co-defendant, James Andrew Stringari of Whitehall, and that Fuentes was selling both fentanyl and meth throughout the Butte area from the Whitehall residence. In addition, law enforcement confirmed information about meth and fentanyl trafficking that incriminated Fuentes, Stringari, White and another co-defendant.

Fuentes and Stringari were also found guilty of conspiracy and drug possession in the April trial. Fuentes was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison, while Stringari awaits sentencing.

The government further alleged that in October 2022, police stopped a vehicle leaving the Whitehall residence. White was a passenger and police found a pound of meth in her purse. In November 2022, police stopped White again in a vehicle and found three-quarters of a pound of meth and more than 100 pills laced with fentanyl. White also possessed several cell phones that contained messages suggesting her drug trafficking.

During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted packages containing thousands of pills being sent from California to the Whitehall address and to a Butte address. Law enforcement also learned that Fuentes had moved to a home in Helena.

Police conducted coordinated stops and searches of addresses in Helena and Butte. In the Butte apartment, officers found approximately 2.7 kg of meth, 208 grams of fentanyl, $15,000 in cash and seven firearms. In the Helena apartment, officers found approximately 3.2 kg of meth and 68 grams of fentanyl.

Co-defendants Martin Topete Garcia and his brother Johnathan Topete, both of Mira Loma, California, pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Co-defendant Trevor Allen Handy of Butte pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Co-defendant Anthony Wayne Johnson II of Santa Ana, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and co-defendant Agatha Noriz Carranza of Whitehall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Police conducted coordinated stops and searches of addresses in Helena and Butte. In the Butte apartment, officers found approximately 2.7 kg of meth, 208 grams of fentanyl, $15,000 in cash and seven firearms. In the Helena apartment, officers found approximately 3.2 kg of meth and 68 grams of fentanyl.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Missouri River Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State Bureau of Investigations conducted the investigation.